1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system for simplifying endoscopic operations for observing or applying various treatments to intended regions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes have been adopted widely in recent years, whereby an internal body cavity can be observed by inserting an elongated insertion tube or treated using a treatment adapter, if necessary.
When the endoscope is inserted into a tortuous body cavity or other insertion path, the bending section of the endoscope must be bent according to the tortuosity of the insertion path. To observe an intended object region with the endoscope inserted deeply to a body cavity, the bending section must be bent so that the field of view of an observation optical system formed at the distal end of an insertion tube must be directed to the object region.
In examples of prior art, an endoscope is automatically inserted into a tortuous path in a body cavity. The examples of prior art have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 3-109023, 3-92126, and 1-148232. Each example of the prior art comprises an insertion drive for automatically inserting the insertion tube of an endoscope into a duct, a bending drive for automatically bending a bending section formed at the distal end of the insertion tube of the endoscope, and a bending control in which when the insertion tube is inserted automatically into the duct, an observation system formed at the distal end of the insertion tube detects a dark area. Then the bending section is bent towards the dark area to orient the distal end of the insertion tube towards the center of the duct. According to the examples of the prior art, the insertion tube of the endoscope can be automatically inserted into tortuous ducts of body cavities. However, after the insertion tube is inserted into a duct, the bending section must be bent manually to orient the distal end of the endoscope towards an object region, so that the observation field of view will align with the object region. Moreover, a treatment adapter must be thrust manually from the distal end of the insertion tube, which has been placed in a duct of a body cavity, into the duct to perform various treatments.
On the other hand, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-55907 has described an endoscope bending unit. Herein, when the insertion tube of an endoscope is inserted into a duct of a body cavity, an observed image the distal end (observation system) of the insertion tube acquires is displayed on a monitor, the position of a view point of an operator who catches the monitor within his/her field of view is detected, then a bending section is bent according to the detected positional information of the view point. However, when the bending section is bent according to view point position information indicating an operator's view point within his/her field of view, every time the operator averts his/her view point to, for example, compare a certain point with another point while examining (observing) an object region, the bending section bends. Furthermore, the operator's view point must be set at a position to which the distal end of the endoscope is oriented, fatiguing the operator terribly.